“Are you sure?” he asks.
“We’re in a vacation villa you paid for. Besides, it’s kind of silly, don’t you think? We’re both adults.”
“We are,” he agrees.
“It’s not like we have no self-control,” I add, and he slowly sets the pillows back in place.
“Of course.”
When we crawl into bed, the tension between us is so thick you could cut it with a knife. I think to myself,this is good. We are two mature adults sharing a bed for a good night’s sleep. Can I lie next to this man after what he’s seen, and what I’ve seen, and pretend like we don’t want more from each other?
“Are you okay?” he asks, breaking into my thoughts. We are both under the covers, and he is reaching for the lamp on the side table but waiting for my response. “You look…worried.”
I force a smile and brush a wisp of hair from my face. “No. Not at all. I’m fine. This is fine.”
“Okay…” he drawls. “Sweet dreams then…” he says and turns off the lamp before settling down into the bed.
I lay on my side, facing away from him, as close to the edge as I can get without falling off. I can still feel him next to me and smell him too. God, he smells so good! The heat between us is burning into my skin. I swallow hard because I suddenly feel parched.
My heart is pounding so hard in my chest I wonder if he can feel it or hear it.
All the while, Darlene’s words play out audibly in my head.There are a lot of things you can do that aren’t sex… Second base isn’t off limits…
I rustle around for a moment, trying to get comfy and drown out her voice. I just need to fall asleep. Once I’m asleep, I won’t be thinking about any of this. Then morning will come, and maybe the roads will be clear, and then I can finally go back to normal life where this will all be a distant memory. A fond memory.
I stop myself right there. My inner monologue isn’t helping anything.
I roll over onto my other side towards the middle of the bed, and Ash is right there. On his side. Facing me. His eyes flash open, like he was never actually asleep.
For a moment, we just stare at each other. The moon is bright tonight, and it illuminates the room enough for us to see each other’s faces and look into each other’s eyes.
Suddenly, our mouths crash together.
I don’t know if it was me or him or both, but it doesn’t matter. His hand clasps over my cheek, pulling me closer as the kiss deepens, his tongue finding mine, swirling around, teasing, nibbling, driving me wild.
My hands rake across his t-shirt clad chest. Even through the soft cotton, I can feel his muscles. He’s strong, hard, and yet so soft. So warm. So inviting.
I moan into his mouth as my hand explores his torso from his pecks to his abs. My fingertips stop at the band of his boxer briefs. Ash pulls back just enough that our eyes meet, and while he doesn’t say anything, he’s asking a question.
You want to touch me?
I do. Fuck, I do. Ever since I saw him stroking himself, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. I want to feel hishardness and girth in my hand. I want to glide my hand up and down his shaft until he trembles.
“It’s not sex,” he whispers in a gruff tone as if he knows what I am thinking. It’s as if he knows exactly why I’m hesitant, but he respects it. “I would never try to make you do something you don’t want to do, Harper.”
His words warm my heart. I feel like I can lean into him; he feels safe. They also make me want more than I would have thought I’d want.
Second base is not sex…
“I want--” I start and stop because this is a big deal for me.
Asher waits. “What do you want? You can have anything you want,” he says.
I hesitate, and then my fingertips edge along the elastic band around his lower torso. I can feel his muscles begin to tense, and his skin prickling with goosebumps.
I slip my fingers under the elastic, feeling his hot, smooth skin.
I continue moving my hand down until I find his erection and stop. I am looking at his face and can’t see anything beneath the sheets, but I know from the books I read what it looks like. I also know it’s dripping with anticipation and need.
